The last month has been crazy. School, part-time job, my editor job, and organizing a charity event along with trying to maintain a healthy social life and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with so much on their plate. So with that, this “Letter from me” is all about reminding you to schedule your time appropriately and making sure you don’t burn yourself out. I know I’m stepping into Health and Fitness and Life ‘N Stuff territory, but I feel like I’ll take a different approach to the matter than either Mike or LNS.

Why bother reminding people about taking time to schedule their time? It seems like an obvious thing doesn’t it? Well, sometimes we all need a reminder and unfortunately we don’t always have someone who is there to remind us, but luckily I’m here for you! While school, work, and extracurriculars that add to your resume are great and they’re important, not making time for yourself can create bigger issues and lead to more severe problems. I’ve seen it happen and I’m not going to delve into the problems that can arise from not taking some time for yourself; I will try to give you some tips on how to stay sane while juggling everything else in your student life.First off, small things can make a difference. I’m not a fan of group studying, but even studying with a friend who is studying something else can help add a little socialization to your life. I wouldn’t suggest doing this all the time, especially if your friend doesn’t have a lot to study or tends to fool around instead of concentrating on their work. Another tip that I’ve always given people is to stay ahead of their syllabus. Get an assignment that’s due in two weeks? Get it done as soon as you get it. That way you have a ton of time to look it over and you’ll also have time to attend events like CUCA Spooka (which was just this past weekend) or a Thunder athletic game of your choosing.

Study with family around. I don’t know how many classes I’ve had that have said the best way to learn is to teach and when you study around certain people, that’s what happens. I know when I do this I tend to tell the people around me what I’m studying and reinforce the things that I’m learning about. I put this in a different category than studying with friends, because your friends, who are probably also in postsecondary, don’t have the capacity to learn their subjects along with yours.

The most important tip is also the most obvious; keep a day planner, agenda, calendar or any other variation of a schedule. I know I’m guilty of neglecting to do this in the past; I’ve started out strong but faltered after two weeks or so of diligent planning. But technology makes things so much easier. Get a test date or submission date for an assignment? Add it to your phone’s calendar. See a poster for an upcoming CUCA event that you’d like to attend? Add it to your calendar. It sounds redundant, but with all the things floating around in our brain: midterms, significant others, essay due dates, food, sleep, significant others; it’s easy for things to get jumbled or confused and by simply putting all these dates into your phone you can avoid conflict and also see if you’re spreading yourself too thin.

Concordia puts on a lot of great events to alleviate stress and get you out and socializing with your peers. Not a fan of school events? Go out with coworkers from your job or volunteer position. Don’t like them? Then find time to read a good book that isn’t on any of your syllabi. I know for me, reading for an hour before bed or watching a show on Netflix before bed helps my mind unwind from a busy day and allows my brain to shut down. I know we’re suppose to get a recommended amount of sleep, but for me I’d rather forgo an hour of that sleep to relax my mind and body before going to bed. That’s just me though, everyone is different and has their own ways of dealing with the stresses in their daily lives, just make sure you notice when that stress is getting to be too much. Also remember that Concordia has services to help you deal with that kind of stuff, the school is here to help you.

Reading week is coming up soon so make sure you take some time for you and relax a little before hitting the books or heading to work.